The Damen Group is a Dutch defence,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to bef ...

, and engineering

conglomerate company A conglomerate () is a multi-industry company – i.e., a combination of multiple business entities operating in entirely different industries under one corporate group, usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries. Conglomerates ...

based in

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The municipality of Gorinchem al ...

, Netherlands. Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company. Damen Shipyards Group is a globally operating company with more than 50 shipyards, repair yards, and related companies − as well as numerous partner yards that can build Damen vessels locally. Since 1969 it has designed and built more than 5,000 vessels and delivers over 150 vessels annually. With over 30 shipyards and related companies worldwide, Damen is involved in ship construction as well as maintenance and repair activities. It has a wide product range, including

tugs A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

, workboats, patrol craft, cargo vessels,

dredge Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

rs,

superyacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...

s and fast ferries. Product design and engineering are carried out in-house and a broad range of designs are available.

History

Overview

Damen was established in 1927 in the town of Hardinxveld-Giessendam in the Netherlands by Jan and Marinus Damen. The two brothers ran a successful, mainly Dutch-oriented, shipyard for decades. Over the years they managed to build up a small, but loyal customer-base. Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, located about 10 km from the Damen Group headquarters in Gorinchem, still exists today. It is specialised in designing and building workboats, especially 'multi cats' and shoalbusters. In 1969 Jan Damen's son, Kommer Damen, took over. In addition to building reliable vessels at an affordable price, Kommer Damen had a revolutionary idea: the standardisation and series production of workboats. To make this vision become reality he needed the support of several key suppliers and clients, most of which still maintain a close relationship with Damen today.

World Bank Debarment

On March 16, 2016, the

World Bank Group The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Gr ...

announced its

debarment Debarment is the state of being excluded from enjoying certain possessions, rights, privileges, or practices and the act of prevention by legal means. For example, companies can be debarred from contracts due to allegations of fraud, mismanagement ...

of Damen Shipyards Gorinchem for 18 months. As stated in a press release on the World Bank official website : ''"The company engaged in a fraudulent practice under the West Africa Regional Fisheries Program"'' The sanction follows an agreement between the World Bank and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem hence a reduced debarment of 18 months, as stated : ''"Damen has cooperated with the World Bank’s investigation and has taken remedial action, including strengthening its corporate compliance program"''

Statistics

Key figures and statistics for Damen Shipyards Group in/as of 2015 include: Annual turnover: 2.1 billion Euro Damen Shipyard Group: 32 yards worldwide * The Netherlands: 14 * Abroad: 18 Employees: 9,000 worldwide * The Netherlands: 3,000 * International: 6,000 Annual deliveries 2015: 180 * Tugs / Workboats: 82 * Offshore Vessels: 8 * High Speed Craft & Ferries: 62 * Pontoons & Barges: 10 * Dredging & Specials: 15 * Naval & Yachts: 5 * Stock hulls: >200 Total number of deliveries since 1969: * 6,000 ships Key Figures Damen Shiprepair & Conversion 2015 Annual turnover (2015) : 500 million EUR Damen Shiprepair & Conversion: 15 yards in 6 countries * 40 dry docks * Largest dock 420 x 80 m Employees: 1,500 * Delivered projects (2015): >1,500 repair, maintenance, refit and conversion projects

Divisions

* Damen Shipyards Gorinchem — in

, an independent member of the Damen Shipyards Group. * Royal Schelde;

Warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

division. * Amels Division;

Superyacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...

division, based in

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic l ...

and part of Damen Group since 1991.

Products

Warships

Corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

s () *

Frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...

s (, , ) *

Patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s (, Damen Stan patrol vessel) *

Amphibious transport dock An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operat ...

s () * Joint Support Ship ( Karel Doorman class)

Freighters

Container ship A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermoda ...

s (Damen Container Feeder) * Tankers (Damen Tanker) * Heavy-lift ship (Damen HLV) *

Cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

(Damen Combi Freighter and Combi Coaster)

Passenger ships

Catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-sta ...

s * Ropax ferries — & MV ''Legionnaire'' (2015–2016)

Superyachts

* (1986) * (1988) * (2016)

Customers

US Coast Guard

The

US Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC-B) long, and capable of speeds of over is based on the Damen 4708 design, and will be built by the

Bollinger Shipyards Bollinger Shipyards is an American constructor of ships, workboats and patrol vessels. Its thirteen shipyards and forty drydocks are located in Louisiana and Texas. Its drydocks range in capacity from vessels of 100 tons displacement to 22,000 to ...

of Lockport, Louisiana. The firm fixed-price contract for the first ship is worth €88m ( US$120m); the approximate maximum value of the contract, if all options are exercised for a total of 34 patrol boats, is €1.5 billion ($2 billion) over a period of between six and eight years.

Canadian Coast Guard

On September 2, 2009, the Ministry of Public Works and Government Services of Canada announced that nine mid-shore patrol ships based on a 'Canadianized' version of the Damen Stan Patrol 4207 would be built by Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

for use by the

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues ...

in conjunction with the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

. The Canadian

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sc ...

had originally wanted twelve patrol craft.

Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard

On October 27, 2005, the

JDF Coast Guard The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is the combined military of Jamaica, consisting of an infantry Regiment and Reserve Corps, an Air Wing, a Coast Guard fleet and a supporting Engineering Unit. The JDF is based upon the British military model, with ...

commissioned HMJS ''Cornwall'', the first of three Damen 4207 vessels (termed County class by the JDFCG). The second County-class vessel, HMJS ''Middlesex'', was commissioned on April 7, 2006. The third and final vessel, HMJS ''Surrey'', was commissioned on June 26, 2007. The vessels are dubbed County class as they are named after the three counties of Jamaica. On June 25, 2020, the

commissioned HMJS ''Nanny of the Maroons'', a Damen FCS 5009 Cutter. The vessel is named after the Jamaican National Hero

Nanny of the Maroons Queen Nanny, Granny Nanny, or Nanny of the Maroons ONH (c. 1686 – c. 1733), was an 18th century leader of the Jamaican Maroons. She led a community of formerly enslaved Africans called the Windward Maroons. In the early 18th century, under ...

Hong Kong Marine Police

The Marine Region of the Hong Kong Police Force is having Stan 2600 patrol boats built by Damen. Damen Mk I boats were used in Hong Kong and now retired after Keka-class patrol boats were delivered.

Ecuadorian Coast Guard

In November 2011 the

Ecuadorian Coast Guard Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collec ...

ordered Damen Stan 2606 patrol vessels, to be built in

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

by Astinave.

Vietnam Coast Guard

Damen Group has already delivered some

Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel The Dutch shipbuilding firm The Damen Group, designs and manufactures a range of patrol vessels, of various sizes, including the Damen Stan 4207 Patrol Vessels. The Damen Stan patrol vessel designs' names include a four digit code, where the first ...

s for

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

missions. The

Vietnam Coast Guard Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG, ; formerly Vietnam Marine Police (VMP) prior to October 2013) is the coast guard of Vietnam. Until 2013, it was a branch of Vietnam's military, the Vietnam People's Army, and falls under the management of the Vietname ...

also cooperated with Damen Group to build large vessels with Dutch license, such as one offshore patrol vessel 9014, one hydrographic survey vessel 6613, four salvage tugs 6412. These vessels will be built in Vietnam by the Song Thu company.

Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard

Damen Group has already delivered 3 of 12 vessels purchased by the

Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) is the military organization responsible for the defence of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It consists of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, the Tr ...

. A coastal patrol vessel (CPV) CG 25, interceptor (vessel) and supply vessels were delivered in July to strengthen border security and stop the illegal flow of guns, ammunition and drugs into the country.

Group Companies

Damen is a large group. Some of the group companies are: * Amels * Damen Dredging Equipment * Damen Marine Services * Damen Schelde Marine Services * Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding * Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam * Damen Shiprepair Brest * Damen Shiprepair Curaçao * Damen Shiprepair Harlingen * Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam * Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen * Damen Shipyards Bergum * Damen Shipyards Cape Town * Damen Shipyards Den Helder * Damen Shipyards Galați * Damen Shipyards Gorinchem * Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld * Damen Shipyards Koźle * Damen Shipyards Singapore * Damen Trading * Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellen * Damen Shipyards Antalya * Damen Shipyards Turkey * Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf *

Damen Verolme Rotterdam Damen Verolme Rotterdam, is a repair shipyard in Rotterdam, Netherlands. History Foundation The company was founded in 1957 by Cornelis Verolme as Verolme Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (VDSM). In 1955 Verolme owned Verolme Verenigde Sc ...

* Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar * Damen Engineering Gdansk

References

External links

*
Amels
super yachts
Damen locations and yards worldwide

Damen Magazine
{{Authority control Defence companies of the Netherlands Multinational companies headquartered in the Netherlands Gorinchem Hardinxveld-Giessendam Manufacturing companies established in 1927 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1927 Dutch brands Dutch companies established in 1927 Shipbuilding companies of the Netherlands